Packed house for care seminar

12th April 2018

Eric Hart, the Provincial Grand Almoner held a seminar in Leyland Masonic Hall for the Provincial Care team to introduce new team members, update them on new processes with the MCF and issue a presentation by David Morgan on the benefits available to brethren and their families.

Pictured from left to right are Paul Broadley (DepPrGA) and Eric Hart.

The guest speaker was Steve Kayne the CEO of the West Lancashire Freemasons Charity.

After a short welcome by Eric, he introduced the new members of the team and thanked those who were retiring from office.

Eric then welcomed Steve and asked him to give his talk on the changes in the WLFC since his appointment in 16 January 2018.

Steve started by saying the previous decision to introduce the Rowntree formula was good in the sense that it gave a base to review the needs of clients from.

A packed house.

However, the lack of any income exemptions by the WLFC such as housing benefit left some clients with no change in their income having the level of their grant reduced or in some cases stopped altogether.

Steve Kayne.

So what has changed? Steve said he wanted to make it clear the WLFC want to increase the level of grants to clients and the community as the charity’s reserves are more than enough to increase grants even with a reduced level of income during the 2021 Festival.

Steve referred to an example at the back of his handout that gave an example of the grants to clients using an example of £17,000 for the Rowntree base and he stated that every eligible client would receive a grant of their Rowntree amount plus £1,000.

Steve also said that the number of grants given to local organisations, charities and individuals would be increased and that a large donation would be made on an annual basis with the first being two new liveried BMW R1200RT-P motorbikes to North West Blood Bikes, which the Provincial Grand master presented click here to read the story.

In closing his presentation, Steve asked all the brethren present to tell all the lodge and chapter almoners that the WLFC was open for business again and wants to give grants to every eligible person in the Province. To which the audience gave loud acclamation.

The presentations that followed were all well received and the meeting closed after Eric and Paul Broadly held a Q&A session, with every one looking forward to passing on the information they had been given during the seminar.